Oasis of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Let's get this out of the way first. This is a huge ship and can hold 5000+ passengers. With that being said, there should be some expectations that during the very first and last days of the cruise, one may have to wait for an elevator longer than normal as folks bring up/down their bags. The venues on board for some of their shows cannot hold all the people that may want to see them, so reservations are required. Casinos are smoky and crowded but all of the above should be expected and not deliver an unfavorable rating.
Shows were 1st rate. I didn't see CATS but most of what I heard from the folks that did go see it was less than favorable. Too long, too boring but the rest of the entertainment I did see 1st hand and were fabulous.
Dining options are plentiful (as one would expected on a ship this large) but I do have a point of issue with Chops. While the food was great, the $42/person fee while not too expensive didn't include some of the dry aged steaks. All would've been fine, but the main dining room had the Chops dry aged NY Strip for $19. Why would somebody pay $42 for entrance to Chops as well as the $19 up charge when they could've ordered it from the dining room and save themselves the $42 entrance fee? Breakfast at the Windjammer got very predictable by the 4th day, although the lunch options were better.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Cabin was as expected. Small but functional and with plenty of room for a couple provided that you're neat about putting stuff away and using the space/closets/drawers provided. Balcony is always nice to relax to a cup of morning coffee while watching (and hearing) the ocean. Dreamworks channel on board was helpful keeping my 4 year old occupied while we got ready for dinner or took a nap.
Port Reviews
Costa Maya
We were told to try to book something in Costa Maya as there's no much to do around the pier. This is a correct statement. We ended up renting a gas powered, street legal golf cart and had our way with it for about 4 hours. Ended up in a small fishing village hanging out by the beach and having lunch.
Cozumel
Took a cab to the Paradise Beach ($15/each way for 4 people) and spent our morning/afternoon there. $3 entrance fee and $18/person for use of the beach equipment and $10/person food drink but worth it. The pool was amazing and my son had a great time while my wife read her book poolside. They also have free Wi-Fi for those that need to stay connected while on vacation. Not enough bandwidth for streaming Netflix, but enough to keep up with email or making fantasy football lineup changes
Falmouth
The shopping experience in the pier is fine and my father did buy some alcohol but overall this isn't a great port. Beaches in Jamaica, I feel are much worse than the Mexico beaches. Taxi drivers are constantly hounding you for a fare and you really do feel like you're stepping into a 3rd world county when you leave the security of the pier
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
For the 1st time I decided to drive to the port as opposed to RCCL transfers. The parking was expensive (about $120 for 8 days) but the luggage folks collected our bags as soon as we took the elevator to the ground floor. Also getting to our car once we got off the ship was simple and quick. We checked in earlier than our allotted time slot but they took us anyway and my 6 person party was all onboard within 30 minutes of arriving at the pier.